In hosting Lille, the third in the championship, OGC Nice hoped to secure their first win in 2010. But against a top-tier Ligue 1 team, it was mainly an opportunity to reconnect with their fans. For that, the 7,123 spectators present were waiting for just one thing: for the players to “give it their all.” And that was indeed what happened on Saturday night at the Ray. The Nice team even believed they held the 3 points for almost an hour. In the 17th minute, Ben Saada opened the scoring with a header for the home team after a mistake by Mickaël Landreau (1 – 0). With a brave restructured defense, Nice held onto their advantage until the 75th minute. De Melo headed in a free kick from the right, leaving Letizi powerless (1 – 1). The eagles held their own against the northern team initially in the game. But they struggled more after De Melo and Obraniak entered the match around the hour mark. A disappointing Lille team, performing below their recent displays. Nice had a few chances, as seen in a beautiful move by Cid set up by a backheel from Poté. The midfielder nutmegged a player and shot, but the northern goalkeeper got down well. It was unfortunate that in some counter-attacks, the Nice players did not lift their heads enough to deliver the ideal final pass. Among the regrets was Béria’s yellow card in the 84th minute. When Rémy, very discreet this evening, turned in the center circle to sprint alone towards the goal, he was illegally held back by the Lille defender. The result: no red card according to the referee, Damien Ledentu, to the dismay of the Ray crowd.
The Nice Player of the Match: Didier Digard
Two players stood out this evening at the Ray. At 37 years old, Lionel Letizi, the backup goalkeeper, stepped up to fill in for Ospina. He was decisive against the Lille attacks, even saving a draw in the 84th minute on a double chance for the visitors. Gervinho and Balmont took turns pushing against the red and black goalkeeper. But in front of him, Letizi could rely on Digard, a pillar in the restructured defense due to Civelli’s absence. Dropped back a notch by Ollé-Nicole, the number 22 was omnipresent. Sometimes clumsy, admittedly, but exemplary in his intent. He was on every ball, blocking, countering, clearing with courage against all opposing attacks. While he may not have showcased his technical skills, he honored the jersey, and that’s what mattered this Saturday.
